Since its launch on the web with Pley, TrainStation 2 has opened new opportunities for players to explore the excitement of cross-platform gaming. In close collaboration with Pixel Federation, their mission has been to create seamless gaming experiences that captivate players, while also building long-lasting connections with them.
With TrainStation 2 thriving on both mobile and web platforms, the team is thrilled to showcase how this strategy enhances engagement, retention, and community growth.
Empowering Players Through Cross-Platform Play
The web launch of TrainStation 2 isn’t just about making the game more available—it is about redefining the player experience by enabling gamers to play on their preferred platform throughout the day. The freedom to play when and where players want to has shown strong results, particularly in terms of player engagement.
Larger screen web players are immersing themselves in the game like never before. Average web sessions in TrainStation 2 are 5 times longer on average than mobile, demonstrating the platform’s ability to deliver a more immersive and engaging player experience.
The Key Enablers behind Engagement
This significant increase in session time is powered by two core enablers:
- Seamless Transitions: With Pley Connect, players can instantly switch between devices effortlessly. Whether starting on mobile during a commute or continuing on the web at home, progress is always saved. This frictionless gameplay keeps players engaged longer and boosts satisfaction.
- Immersive Experience: in our attention-based economy, while mobile devices are useful tools that enable us to deal with multiple tasks, on the flip side it does make it harder to have deep, uninterrupted experiences. Giving users a cross-platform experience offers more ways to interact with the game on their terms.
- Community Access: Most mobile gamers rely on web resources for community discussions, game guides, and content creator streams. Playing directly in a web browser streamlines this experience, allowing seamless access to these resources without switching platforms.
By embracing this flexibility, we’ve empowered players to enjoy Trainstation 2 on their terms, enhancing their gaming experience while strengthening our ability to engage diverse audiences. This adaptability has proven to be a game-changer, bringing out the best in both the game and its community.
How Engagement Time Drives Player Spending
One of the most interesting trends we’ve seen is the relationship between session length and player spending. As players spend more time immersed in TrainStation 2 on the web, their in-game purchases have grown substantially.
Compared to mobile, the average ARPU on web is 75% higher. But it’s not just a matter of more money spent—there’s a clear correlation between time spent in-game and how much players are willing to spend.
- ARPU Per Paying User: On web, players who make purchases every month are 2.2X higher compared to mobile. This strong correlation between session time and purchases is simple – the longer players are engaged, the more offers they are presented with, giving them more opportunities to advance their progress through in-game purchases.
- More Time, More Value: As players spend 5X longer on the web compared to mobile, they also tend to get deeper into game meta, exploring premium features, progression mechanics and new game content to accelerate their progression. As they become more engrossed with the strategic depth of the game, their willingness to make in-game purchases naturally grows.
By offering an environment that encourages prolonged engagement, we’ve created a model where time spent translates directly to player investment.
Boosting Retention through Cross-Platform Play
Cross-platform play has a significant impact on player retention on TrainStation 2 on web, and Pley Connect has been the core enabler of this success. By allowing players to seamlessly switch between mobile and web, we’ve seen a 20% higher retention rate among players who engage with both platforms compared to those who play on a single platform.
Additionally, D28 retention is higher on the web by up to 65%. This shows that offering players the flexibility to play across devices not only keeps them engaged but also strengthens long-term loyalty.
Cross-platform play helps us meet player preferences, driving deeper engagement and sustained retention over time.
The Road Ahead: Continuing to Grow
The early results from TrainStation 2 on Pley suggest significant potential for cross-platform play. As we continue to refine the web experience and expand features, we look forward to further improving engagement, retention, and revenue.
Looking ahead, our focus will be on:
- Enhancing New Player Onboarding: Revamping the new player experience across both web and mobile to ensure smoother and more engaging gameplay.
- Introducing Exciting New Features: Adding additional website-level features, including rewards systems and new content designed to engage players.
- Improving Accessibility and Speed: Streamlining the process for new users to quickly jump into the game, including guest sessions and a more seamless setup.
“TrainStation 2 is a great example of how successful mobile games can expand to the web, where a “big screen” gaming experience is easily accessible. The fact that users can use the same account to access the game on both mobile and desktop means that the most motivated, highest-value players are playing the game more often throughout the day.”
Shawn Adamek, CCO at Pley
“Our audience is mature enough to remember their gaming heydays on PCs. If you’re a 35+ male, go play Trainstation 2 on browser and try to tell me that it doesn’t feel right! Jokes aside, while still optimizing the ways to bring even more players there, data shows that those who play there found a happy, happy place.”
Gustav Pastucha, Business Development Manager, Strategic Partnerships at Pixel Federation
